Inclinometer



H. C. HORNBECK.

INGLINOMETER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNEHS, 1920.

1,426,645. Patented Aug. 22, 1922.

HARRY C. HORNBECK, OF SAN BERNARDIN'O, CALIFORfiIA.

INGLINOMETER.

Application filed June 16,

T0 aZZ "to 710m it may can earn Be it known that 1, Hanna? C. l-lojennnon. a citizen of the United States, residing at San Bernardino, in the county of San Bernardino and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Inclinometers, of which the following is a specification, *eferenee being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an improved inclinometer or grade indicator especially adapted for use on moving vehicles preferably automobiles and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a device of this kind which will occupy comparatively small space and in which machine the oscillatory movements of the-indicator drum or stabilizer may be geared up with an oscillatory weight member which when seel:- ing the center of gravity will operate to move the drum or stabilizer to indicate the inclination of a grade, said stabilizer or drum being provided with graduations to cooperate with an indicator wire, to indi- 'cate the exact inclination of the road.

Another object is to provide a machine of this kind in which the movable parts are so geared relativelyto each other and mounted as to prevent the irregularities of the grade or road. bed from jarring the relative position of the indicator drum or stabilizer. V I

In other words, the stabilizer or indicator drum contains a fluid, the level of which is below the axis of the drum, and is so geared to an oscillatory weight member that when the weighted member is jarred owing to the irregularities in the road bed and endeavors to pendulate, the liquid (which constitutes a weight) in the indicator drum will counter act the weight of the oscillatory member and therefore the indicator drum will remain stable.

Still another object is to provide a mi..- chine of this kind including means for adjusting the interior working parts when the moving vehicle is on a level so as to correspond with the level of the road bed whereby the working parts will properly operate in order toindicate the proper inclination of the graderelatively toia horizontal level.

lVhile the design and construction. at present illustrated and set forth deemed preferable it is obvious that as a result of a reduction of the invention to a more practi- Speoii'ication of Letters Patent. Patented A g. 22 1922 1920. Serial No. 389,528.

cal form for commercial purposes, the invent1on may be susceptible to changes, and the right to these changes is claimed, provided they are comprehended within the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the improved inclinometer or indicator machine constructed in accordance with the invention,

ll'igure 2 is horizontal sectional View on line 2 2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view through the indicator drum or stabilizer,

Figure 4 is a sectional View through the indicator drum at right angles to that shown in Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a rear view of a portionof the casing of the inclinometer or indicator showing the means for holding the interior wori ing parts in different adjusted positions relatively to a horizontal level; and

Figure 6 is a face view of the inclinometer.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a casing which comprises the side plates 3, and 2 designates strengthening plates. The diverging walls 1 of the casing 1 merge into curved parts 1". The strengthening plates 2 merge into curved parts 2". These strengthening plates 2 and their curved parts 2 are secured to the walls 1 and their curved portions l by means of the rivets 4:. The plates 2 are separate from the casing 1 and its valls 1 and furthermore the ends of the walls 1 terminate adjacent the instrument board 30 so that the right angle extensions 2 of the plates 2 are secured to the instrument board 30 thereby providing only one thickness of metal adjacent the instrument board 1 around the side opening. Mounted in bearings of the side plates 3 is a shaft 5, the end portions of which are provided with integral shoulders 6 and these side plates 3 are held in position on the ends of the shaft 5 by means of the nuts 7 Theplates 2 are of substantial width and act to support the walls 1 of the casing 1. A tubular sleeve 8 is rotatably mounted upon the shaft 5 engaging upon the shoulders 6 to reduce the friction to a minimum. An indicator drum or stabilizer 9 is movable with the tubular shaft and also I mounted on -movable with the. drum is a gear 10. By

shoulders 6 and the side plates 3 of the easing are thearms of the "U-sh'aped cradle 16. A screw 17 is carried by the rear part of the cradle, in fact the transverse part 18 thereof and. this screw engages through a slot 19 in the rear of the casing. A collar 20 is interposed between the rear of the casing and the transverse part 18 of the cradle so as to keep the parts spaced. It will i be noted that the rear part of the casing is "arcuately shaped, and whose radius extends from the shaft 5, therefore it will be noted that the cradlel6 can be adjustedand when adjusted it may be held in any desired posi tion by tightening up on the thumb screw I 21 thereby ,clamping the rear arcuately shaped part of the casing between the collar 20 and the thumb nut. The adjustment. of

. the cradle is desired when the vehicle is positioned on a levelgrade so that an inclination in the grade will be properly indicated relatively to a horizontal level. 35

Mounted in bearings of the arms 15 of the cradle are the ends 22 of a shaft 28. This shaft 23 is provided with integral shoulders 24, and withwhich a tubular shaft 25 engages. In other words the tubular shaft 25 revolves about the collars 24. which is provided for reducing the friction to a minimum. Keyed upon and rotatable with the tubular shaft 25 is a gear 26 and carried by one face. of the gear 26 is. a weight or gravity member 27 which is secured to the gear as by means of the screw 28. The tubular shaft also passes through'the weight orgra-vitymember so as to hold the memher in position. The gear 26 meshes with the gear 10 of the tubular shaft 8'. It will be; noted that when the vehicle is at rest on a level and interior working. partshave been adjusted, the weighted gear 26 will oscillate when the vehicle has been startedand reaches an inclined grade either upward or downward.

The oscillating movement of the gear 26 will transmit movement to the gear 10 and thence to the indicator drum or stabilizer. The pendulation of the weight is the effect of the road shocks to be counteracted. The

stabilizer 9 allows the weight 27 to move slowly, but not to make sudden movements. In addition to the weight ofl i, thefluid surges frictionally against the sides and ey the shaft 5 between the lindrical Walls and the partitions 12 with each shock of the weight 27 thereby acting to counteract road shocks.

The cylindrical surface of the indicator drum is provided with suitable graduations 29 which are numbered from a point indirated as zero inopposite directions to a point substantially ninety degrees from the zero indication so that when the vehicle is travelling upgrade or downgrade, the indicator drum will oscillate in either direction and through the medium of the graduations cooperating with the pointer or indicator, the exact inclination of the road bed may be indicated. v

The casing 1 of the inclinometer may be mounted on a suitable instrument board 30 or upon any other part of the vehicle, and

secured to the instrument board or to the part of the vehicle is a casing 31 for holding a glass or other transparent member 32 in pos1t1on so that the cylindrical surface of the indicator cylinder or stalibizer may be observed. A suitable filler or packing 33 is interposed between the glass and the face of the instrument board 30 so as to cushion the glass and prevent movement thereof. The

filler or cushioning member 33 is provided 1 with a circular opening 34 through which the graduations on the cylindrical surface of the indicator cylinder may be seen and across which the indicator wire or pointer is arranged. In other words the wire or indi-' cator pointer extends radially across the coni ter of the opening and is secured in any suit able manner at diametrically opposite portions of the opening 34.

The invention having been set forth, what is. claimed as new and useful is 1. In a. gradeindicator, a casing adapted to be fastened on a vehicle and having an openingv provided with a transparent coverlng, an indicator cylinder mounted to oscillate in the casing and provided with a plurality of radial baffles and liquid partially filling the cylinder to damp the oscillation ofthe cylinder, means for sup-portingsaid cylinder, a cradle mounted upon the supporting means, a gravity actuated gear mounted on the cradle and having operative connections with the cylinder, whereby the gear may seek a stable position with regard to its center of gravity, sothat the cylinder may indicate the angle of inclination of the grade. i

2. In a gradometer, a casing to befastened on a vehicle, and having an opening provided with a transparent covering, an indicator cylinder mounted to oscillate in the casing and provided with a plurality of radial baffles and liquid partially fillingthe cylinder to damp the oscillation'of the cylinder, means for supporting said cylinder, a cradle mounted upon the, supporting means, a gravity actuated gear mounted on the eradle and having operative connections with the cylinder to impart movement thereto, whereby the gear may seek a stable position with respect to its center of gravity, to cause the cylinder to indicate an angle of inclination of the grade, and means for holding the cradle in different adjusted posit-ions.

3. In an inclinometer, a casing, an indicator drum rotatably mounted therein, vanes on the interior of the indicator drum, a supporting shaft therefor, means actuated by gravity and cooperative with the vanes whereby to damp the oscillation of the drum, said drum having graduations, a gravity actuated gear operatlvely mounted in the easing and having operative connections with the drum, whereby the gear may transmit movement to the drum, and whereby the gear may seek a stable position with regard to its center of gravity, and to cause the drum to indicate the inclination of the grade, adjustable means mounted in the casing and pivoted on the supporting shaft and operatively carrying said gravity actuated gear, so as to adjust the workingparts relatively to a hori' zontal level, and means for holding the adjustable means in different positions relatively to the horizontal level.

4:. In a gradometer, a casing, a supporting rior of the cylinder to damp the oscillation of the cylinder and the gear, said cylinder having graduations thereon from zero in opposite directions toward ninety degrees.

5. In a gradometer, a casing, a supporting shaft mounted in bearings thereof, a cradle pivotally mounted on the shaft, a gravity actuated gear operatively mounted on the cradle in a position to one side of the supporting shaft, a hollow indicator cylinder, means within the cylinder to damp its oscillation, said cradle being adapted to provide for vertical adjustment between the gear and the cylinder, and means for holding the cradle in its adjusted positions in order to stabilize it with respect to the center of gravity of said gear.

I11 testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

HARRY C. HORN BECK. 

